Kannur International Airport — Kannur, India

Carved from a laterite hilltop plateau in Kerala's northern Malabar region, CNN opened in December 2018 as the state's fourth international airport, built specifically to shorten the long road journeys that Gulf-bound workers from Kannur, Kasaragod, and Wayanad districts once faced to reach Kozhikode or Mangalore for flights. Kerala's economy depends heavily on remittances sent home by expatriates working across the Gulf states, and the airport's design reflects that reality, with direct routes to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Saudi Arabia dominating its international schedule alongside seasonal Hajj and Umrah pilgrim charters. Massive earthworks were required to level the elevated site, producing a table-top-style runway configuration similar to those at nearby Kozhikode and Mangalore airports, a layout that drew scrutiny following high-profile accidents at comparable Indian airports elsewhere. Managed by a company structured along lines pioneered by Cochin International Airport, Kannur represents Kerala's continued push toward locally driven, shareholder-funded aviation infrastructure rather than relying solely on central government investment.